Committees

Discipline

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee, after conducting an investigation, refer allegations to the Discipline Committee. A discipline panel is comprised of at least three members – two must be public members and one must be a physician member of Council. Panels are usually made up of four or five members.

If the panel finds that the physician has committed an act of professional misconduct or is incompetent, it can make an Order directing the Registrar to:

revoke the physician’s certificate of registration

suspend the physician’s certificate, and/or

impose specified terms, conditions or limitations on the physician’s certificate.

If the panel finds the physician has committed an act of professional misconduct, it can also make an Order:

requiring the physician to appear before the panel to be reprimanded

requiring the physician to pay a fine of not more than $35,000 to the Minister of Finance, and

if the act of professional misconduct was the sexual abuse of a patient, requiring the physician to reimburse the College for funding provided for the patient for counselling and therapy, and requiring the physician to post security to guarantee payment.

If the panel finds the physician has committed an act of professional misconduct by sexually abusing a patient, the panel must:

reprimand the physician, and

revoke the physician’s certificate if the sexual abuse consisted of or included certain acts.

In an appropriate case, the panel may also require the physician to pay all or part of the legal, investigation and hearing costs and expenses. The Discipline Commitee also hears applications for reinstatement and motions to vary prior orders of the Committee.

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Executive

The mandate of the Executive Committee, as defined in the legislation, is to serve as the decision-making body of the College in between regular meetings of Council, and to report on these actions to the Council at subsequent Council meetings.

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Finance

The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing the financial affairs of the College and reporting directly to Council. It reviews such matters as investment policy, control of assets, the auditor's report and the College's overall financial position.

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Fitness To Practise

The Fitness to Practise Committee conducts hearings of allegations concerning a physician's capacity to practise medicine that are referred by an incapacity inquiry panel of the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee.

A Fitness to Practise panel is comprised of at least three members, and one member must be a public member of Council.

If the panel finds that the physician is incapacitated it can make an Order directing the Registrar to:

revoke the physician’s certificate of registration

suspend the physician’s certificate, and/or

impose specified terms, conditions or limitations on the physician’s certificate.

The College makes every effort to carefully balance the physician’s rights with the protection of the public. The Fitness to Practise Committee also hears applications for reinstatement and motions to vary prior orders of the Committee.

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Inquiries, Complaints and Reports

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports (ICR) Committee oversees all investigations into physicians' care and conduct, including public complaints investigations, Registrar's investigations, and inquiries into a physician's capacity to practise.

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Methadone

The Methadone Committee was established to oversee a program to improve the quality and accessibility of methadone maintenance in the treatment of opioid dependence. The College actively manages the practice of methadone prescribing as a formal partner with the Mental Health and Addictions Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The program receives full funding for the methadone registry, staff, physician assessment and other activities.

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Premises Inspection

The Premises Inspection Committee is responsible for administering and governing the Collge's premises inspection program. The duties of the Committee are set out in the College's General By-law, and include:

ensuring appropriate individuals are appointed to perform inspections and re-inspections;

ensuring adequate inspections and reinspections are undertaken and completed;

reviewing premises inspection reports and other material and determining whether premises pass, pass with conditions or fail an inspection.

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Quality Assurance

The Quality Assurance Committee develops, establishes and maintains programs and standards of practice to assure the quality of practice of the profession and standards of knowledge and skill, and programs to promote continuing competence among physicians.

After considering an application, the Registration Committee may make an Order directing the Registrar to issue a certificate of registration; to issue a certificate of registration with terms, conditions and limitations; or to refuse to issue a certificate of registration.

Orders of the Registration Committee may be appealed to the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, and an Order of the Board may be appealed further to the Divisional Court of Ontario.